1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video slot symbol game and apparatus suitable for use in casinos and other gaming enterprises. The invention further relates to video gaming play that provides a special symbol that may function as both a non-valuable payline indicator/activator and a valuable enhanced symbol.
2. Background of the Art
Video slot games have grown exponentially in numbers in the last twenty years, as have the revenues generated by such devices. It is estimated that more than 70% of any casino's revenue are now provided by gaming machines as opposed to table games.
In the gaming industry, there is a continuous need for innovative game features that will attract new players as well as keep regular players amused and therefore willing to continue playing the game. Since in virtually every casino game there is a house advantage, the longer a player remains playing at a machine, the larger the casino's profit. And since it is well recognized in the industry that players tend to easily tire of playing the same games over and over again, manufacturers must constantly develop new game features to stimulate player interest.
The majority of today's slot machines are video slots, particularly 5-column×3-row multiline video slots. The most typical play method of these multiline slots provides multiple paylines that comprise five symbols, one symbol in each column, with each payline beginning in the left-hand column. The symbols may or may not be connected horizontally or diagonally across the columns. Unlike the original 9-payline format, newer machines may offer up to 243 paylines. (Since each payline requires a separate bet, these newer machines can provide meaty wagers for the house on even penny machines.) One of the drawbacks of this game play is that the player is often confused by the large amount of paylines that zigzag and overlap. In addition, each payline has a different configuration. While the player is happy to win, he does not necessarily know when he wins or why he wins. And understanding when and why one wins adds to the anticipation that is the fundamental of gaming. There is a need to provide multiple paylines that are easy to anticipate and understand while providing additional incentives to play, such as special symbols.
Prior art has taught various methods of providing novel and/or additional paylines and special symbols. U.S. Pat. No. 8,241,107 (Moroney) discloses a method for use with a gaming machine arranged to provide a spinning reel game in which symbols are spun up on a plurality of reels to form at least one outcome and, if a winning outcome occurs, the gaming machine awards an award. The method includes (a) if at least one specified symbol is spun up and displayed in a resultant position on a reel, holding the specified symbol in the resultant position for at least one further game in which at least the reel carrying the specified symbol is re-spun; and (b) awarding the award if a winning outcome occurs, wherein a specified symbol comprising part of a winning outcome has the effect of increasing the award if the specified symbol is adjacent at least one other specified symbol. U.S. Pat. No. 8,128,480 (Muir) describes a method wherein at least one and preferably a plurality of the symbols are reflector symbols. A reflector symbol is a symbol that, when generated on one of the reels, causes any payline which runs through such symbol to be reflected back across one or more of the reels to form a supplemental payline. U.S. Pat. No. 7,494,413 (Singer, et al.) discloses a gaming device that forms at least one bonus payline with any bonus payline symbols indicated on the reels and evaluates the symbols indicated on the bonus payline to determine if the bonus payline indicates any winning symbol combinations. U.S. Pat. No. 6,966,835 (Graham) teaches a method wherein a special symbol, when a payline passes through that special symbol, causing the payline to split into a main payline and at least one branch payline. U.S. Application No. 20140148242 (Berman, et al.) discloses a gaming device comprising: a display configured to show a grid formed by a plurality of elements; and a processor configured to: mark each of the plurality of elements with one of a plurality of markings, where at least one of the plurality of markings is a feature marking, position a plurality of feature indicators between adjacent elements forming the grid, indicate elements that have a feature marking and are adjacent to a feature indicator, re-mark elements that are adjacent to the indicated elements when a feature indicator is positioned between the elements and the adjacent indicated elements, respectively, and determine an outcome based on one or more combinations of the markings. U.S. Application No. 20140066169 (Watkins) discloses a gaming system, apparatus, and method with one or more additional payline awards made through special symbols appearing in the game. The number of additional paylines is determined based at least on the special symbol present. U.S. Application No. 20130344939 (Aoki; Dion K., et al.) teaches a method that includes displaying, on at least one display device, a randomly selected outcome of a wagering game in a display area. The display area includes a plurality of reels with a plurality of symbols forming an array. The plurality of symbols includes at least one special symbol. In response to the randomly selected outcome including a special symbol on adjacent ones of the plurality of reels, the method includes changing the functionality of the special symbols on the adjacent ones of the plurality of reels to create a modified array. U.S. Application No. 20130017881 (Watkins) discloses a game that includes a special wild symbol that applies a transformation field to other symbols around it. The effect of this transformation field is to change the symbols into wild symbols. U.S. Application No. 20100075741 (Aoki; Dion K., et al.) teaches a gaming system that includes at least one display for displaying an array of symbols indicating a randomly selected outcome. The array of symbols includes a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns. The symbols include directional indicators. The randomly selected outcome is indicated by at least one sequence of symbols formed based on directions associated with the directional indicators. U.S. Application No. 20090325678 (Gomez) describes a gaming system for conducting a wagering game that includes a plurality of reels with symbols forming an array. The symbols include a directional wild symbol having a direction indicator. The controller is coupled to the display and operative to (i) display the directional wild symbol on the display, (ii) provide a wild function to a symbol that is adjacent to the directional wild symbol and at a certain orientation relative to the directional wild symbol as indicated by the direction indicator, and (iii) provide an award based on the array with the adjacent symbol having the wild function.
Despite the above referenced prior art, there remains a need for gameplay providing both paylines that all have the same configuration and special symbols that may enhance the chance to win or provide larger wins in order to increase player anticipation and participation.